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Cannelloni ricotta e spinaci is the kind of dish that looks involved but follows a clear, repeatable logic. You make a filling, roll it into pasta tubes, cover everything with sauce, and bake. No complicated technique, just good sequencing.
The filling is ricotta, cooked spinach, egg, Parmigiano, and nutmeg. The spinach has to be squeezed very dry or the mixture turns loose and watery inside the tube. That one step makes or breaks the texture.
The two-sauce approach, a simple tomato base underneath and béchamel on top, keeps the pasta hydrated from both sides. Either sauce alone tends to leave the cannelloni unevenly cooked.
You can use dried cannelloni tubes or fresh pasta sheets rolled by hand. Both work. The dried tubes take a few more minutes in the oven but hold their shape cleanly.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Filling can be made a full day ahead
- Two sauces keep pasta moist throughout baking
- Feeds four generously from one baking dish
- Freezes well before or after baking
Ingredient Notes
- Ricotta: Use whole-milk ricotta for a creamier filling. If it looks very wet, drain it in a sieve for 30 minutes before mixing.
- Fresh spinach: About 500 g fresh spinach reduces to roughly 200 g cooked. Frozen spinach works fine, just thaw and squeeze harder.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: Grate it fresh for the best melt. Grana Padano is a budget-friendly swap with a slightly milder flavor.
- Cannelloni tubes: Dried tubes (the standard Barilla-style) are the most practical. Fresh pasta sheets give a softer result if you have them.
- Whole milk (for béchamel): Warm the milk before adding it to the roux to prevent lumps. Oat milk works for a dairy-free version, though the sauce will be slightly thinner.
- Nutmeg: A pinch in both the filling and the béchamel is traditional. Freshly grated nutmeg is noticeably more fragrant than pre-ground.
Cannelloni Ricotta e Spinaci
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the spinach in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until wilted and all the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and let it cool enough to handle.
- Gather the spinach in a clean kitchen towel and twist firmly to squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop the squeezed spinach finely.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, chopped spinach, grated Parmigiano, egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix until uniform and smooth. Taste and adjust salt. Set aside.
- Warm the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat until the garlic is pale gold and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove the garlic.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, and basil. Simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and smells sweet. Taste and adjust salt.
- Melt the butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute until the roux is pale and smells faintly nutty.
- Pour in the warm milk gradually, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Cook, still whisking, for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and nutmeg. Remove from heat.
- Heat the oven to 190 C / 375 F.
- Spread half the tomato sauce in an even layer over the bottom of the baking dish.
- Fill the piping bag with the ricotta-spinach mixture. Pipe the filling into each dry cannelloni tube until full but not bursting. Lay the filled tubes in a single layer over the tomato sauce.
- Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the cannelloni, then pour the béchamel evenly over the top. Scatter the remaining 30 g Parmigiano over everything.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 12 to 15 minutes until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving so the layers firm up and portions hold together.
Notes
Tips for Success
- Squeeze cooked spinach in a clean towel until no more liquid drips out, then chop finely.
- Pipe the filling into dried tubes using a piping bag or a zip-lock bag with a corner snipped off.
- Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish before placing the cannelloni to prevent sticking.
- Cover the dish with foil for the first 25 minutes, then uncover for the last 10 to brown the top.
- Let the baked cannelloni rest for 10 minutes before serving so the layers firm up and portions hold their shape.
Variations
- Replace half the ricotta with cooked, crumbled Italian sausage for a meat-and-cheese filling.
- Add 50 g finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the ricotta filling for a stronger, slightly sweet flavor.
- Use roasted butternut squash instead of spinach for an autumn version with a pale orange filling.
Storage and Reheating
Leftover baked cannelloni keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered tightly. The pasta firms up overnight but reheats well.
To reheat, add 2 tablespoons of water or extra tomato sauce to the dish, cover with foil, and warm in a 170 C / 340 F oven for 20 minutes. A microwave works for single portions on medium power.
To freeze, assemble the cannelloni in the baking dish before baking, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 190 C / 375 F for 55 to 60 minutes, covered for the first 40 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Cannelloni is a substantial primo, so keep the rest of the meal light. A simple green salad dressed with lemon and olive oil works alongside it without competing.
If you’re serving it as a main course, a side of sauteed broccoli rabe or roasted zucchini rounds out the plate. Crusty bread for sauce-mopping is always a good idea.
For a more formal dinner, start with a light antipasto like bresaola with arugula, then serve the cannelloni as the centerpiece. A glass of medium-bodied red, like a Chianti or Barbera d’Asti, pairs cleanly with the tomato and béchamel.
FAQ
Why is my cannelloni ricotta filling watery after baking?
The spinach wasn’t squeezed dry enough before mixing. Excess water in the spinach dilutes the ricotta and leaks into the sauces during baking. Squeeze the cooked spinach in a clean kitchen towel until it feels almost dry to the touch.
Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh for the filling?
Yes, frozen spinach works well and saves time. Thaw it completely, then squeeze out the water very firmly since frozen spinach tends to hold more moisture than fresh after cooking.
Can I assemble cannelloni ricotta e spinaci the night before baking?
You can assemble the whole dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. Take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before it goes into the oven so it heats through evenly.
What goes well with spinach and ricotta cannelloni as a side dish?
A bitter green like radicchio or arugula with a sharp vinegar dressing cuts through the richness of the béchamel. Roasted cherry tomatoes also work, adding a fresh contrast to the baked sauces.
Is cannelloni ricotta e spinaci suitable for vegetarians?
The recipe as written is vegetarian, provided you use a Parmigiano Reggiano labeled suitable for vegetarians (traditional Parmigiano uses animal rennet). Swap to a vegetarian hard cheese or nutritional yeast if that matters to you.
How do I know when the cannelloni are fully cooked through?
Insert a thin knife or skewer into the center of a tube and hold it there for 3 seconds. If it feels hot when you touch it to your wrist and the pasta offers no resistance, it’s done. The top should be golden and the edges of the sauce should be bubbling.